ioche

ii

Dolis took a stroll outside, leaving his father's side for once from the gathering. The gardens that the harvest god Vitol had designed millennia ago were ethereal; Dolis had never seen the likes of such lush and aromatic plants and flowers back home. Nothing except cacti and a few dessert plants grew in the harsh, unforgiving deserts, and none of those survived the treacherous underground caverns Dolis and Xiros resided in. Dolis had once visited the gardens before, on his rare trip here centuries ago, but he didn't dare touch any of the leaves or delicate flowers. He feared his powers would destroy its beauty, wilt Vitol's precious creations with the blood of Dulo coursing through his veins.

He took to the paths, simply admiring the work as he traveled further from the crowds in the halls, finding solace in the silence out here. The bustling sound of gods celebrating and discussing plans to participate in Daelia's contest was too much for the god of destruction.

He stopped in front of a blossoming bush containing pearl-colored flowers that seemed to glow as bright as Lunera's moon. Dolis imagined it to be soft, delicate, and by all means the most beautiful work of Vitol's in Estruela. His hand hovered above it, wishing he could once reach out and touch it and feel the tenderness of the petals and leaves. He'd give anything to cherish it so without destroying it that a wave of sorrow had hit him.

He hated his power, even from the beginning and even before the Great War. Why was he the one to host such a terrible curse, to suffer the weight of the suffering? While other deities received prayers and offerings in praise, Dolis would receive spite, prayers based on fear, or bloodthirsty mortals wishing for revenge.

At the sound of nearing footsteps, Dolis reared his hand as if burnt by one of Valkan's flames. He nearly stumbled from the sudden movement before finding his feet, just narrowly missing hitting the flowers behind him with his other hand. He pulled his hands to his chest, hoping his powers hadn't slipped from his fingertips and ruined Vitol's precious works.

Daelia had caught him in the garden, and Dolis' stoicism had vanished.

An amused smile graced the god of love's face, sending a chill down Dolis' back. He hadn't meant to look Daelia in the face and quickly turned away, taking a step back from the deity.

"I didn't intend to scare you," Daelia said, his words sounding as velvet as Dolis imagined the flower petals would feel. "I simply wondered where the mighty god of destruction had wandered off to."

"I...needed air," was Dolis' weak response. "I meant no harm here, I swear."

"Vitol's garden is quite beautiful, isn't it?" Daelia ignored his comment. "Every piece in his collection here represents different species across Estruela. From the scorching south to the unforgiving winter north."

Dolis took another step back. "Shouldn't you be in there, celebrating?"

"You're not the only one who could use a break from the crowd," he said, cradling one of the flowers Dolis had admired. "Having hundreds of deities asking for a dance or a hint as to where Terah's tree is can be quite tiresome."

Dolis had no words, simply gazing at the flower nestled in Daelia's fingers. It would have been a lie for Dolis to agree and tell him he felt the same under the eyes of the deities as they stared at him for all the opposite reasons. They vied for Daelia's affection and yearned for even the slightest emotional response, but for Dolis, all he knew was the look of malice and fear. And yet both felt the crowd stifling, albeit for opposite reasons.

As Daelia took a step closer, Dolis took a step back, afraid that, like the flower, Daelia would so much as wither away if he got too close.

Daelia frowned, pausing in his tracks. "Will you be participating, Dolis? In finding Terah's tree."